Archive for the 'drugstore' Category

I’ve been waiting for L’Oreal’s Studio Secrets collection to be brought stateside ever since I heard about its launch in the UK, and while it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting the entire collection, I’m more than happy to settle for these Professional Color Correcting Primers. Available in three shades – green to counteract redness, pink to illuminate and add warmth to light complexions, and apricot to lend a radiant, healthy glow to medium/dark skintones – these primers are infused with moisturizing agents to ensure smooth, even foundation application.

Check out more details and photos after the jump!

L’Oreal’s Studio Secrets Professional Color Correcting Primers not only come packaged in sleek tubes reminiscent of Make Up For Ever’s HD Primers, but they’re also contain SPF 15 to provide sun protection on a daily basis. The pink and apricot shades contain mother-of-pearl particles to provide you with a radiant complexion and I’m really hoping for great things. I’d usually go for the anti-redness, but I’m dying to see just how prominent the mother-of-pearl is in the anti-dull ones, so should I be lucky enough to happen upon these at one of my local drugstores (just checked Walgrees today with no luck) I’ll be picking up the pink.

Good idea or bad, you’ve got to admit that the concept of a roller foundation is pretty unique – I’ve thought of a million and one improvements I’d love to make to pretty much every single product I own, but I’ll admit that it never even occurred to me to apply foundation with a little paint-roller reminiscent applicator.

So how did it work out for me? Read on for the review (and more photos of course) after the jump!First one little caveat – I have yet to have a good experience with L’Oreal compact foundations. Case in point, the Super Blendable Compact Foundation irritated my skin and gave me hives and all-around looked pretty terrible on. I’ve had better luck with their liquids, but generally I tend to stick to their lip products and a skincare item or two every now and then.

Having said that, my complaints about L’Oreal’s True Match Roller are essentially the same as those you’ve seen in my L’Oreal Super Blendable Compact Foundation review. The shade I received (N1-2) is too light, sits awkwardly on the surface of my complexion, never quite blending in and emphasizing any pores and lines, and irritates my skin. I know others who’ve experienced the same, and since the formula may or may not work for you (for me it’s a definite not) I thought I’d focus more on the roller since I know you’re all curious about the paint-roller method of foundation application.

So the roller is — well pretty much a miniature paint roller. It’s a rotating cylindrical sponge mounted on a little roller, and while it’s not terrible, it’s really not my ideal method of foundation application. On the pro side, it’s kinda fun to roll your foundation onto your face and to blend it in by repeatedly rolling over the same area. You can get anywhere from light to full coverage depending on how vigorously you blend and how much product you use, and there’s little to no skin-tugging involved.

Swatch of Shade N1-2 (you can see how it makes a rectangular shape)

As for the not-so-great, well my one major issue was that the roller applicator wasn’t quite as maneuverable as I would’ve liked. A tapered end would have been nice to get into those harder-to-reach areas around my nose, and I would’ve appreciated the applicator being a bit smaller or the pan of foundation being a bit larger, as overall it turned out to be a rather messy endeavor. Also, more often than not I’d end up picking up too much foundation with the applicator, which of course made for too much foundation on my face.

While a fun novelty item, L’Oreal True Match Roller Foundation sadly didn’t work at all for me. Ah well – I still love my Go 360 Clean Cleanser to bits and use it religiously every day!

This review contains a press sample sent to ABS by the brand’s PR representative for blog consideration. If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.

PhotoReady Makeup, Revlon’s latest foundation release, has been stirring up much buzz around the blogosphere as the drugstore alternative to MUFE’s HD foundation. Its wallet-friendly $13.99 price tag and its promises of a dewy, camera-ready complexion have helped it attain HG status with many, so you know I had to try it for myself. Check out the review after the jump!I will say this – Revlon’s PhotoReady really is quite good for a drugstore foundation. It wasn’t love for me for a number of reasons, but it is one of the best drugstore foundations I’ve tried to date (good drugstore foundations seem to be few and far between), and even bested many department store foundations I’ve experimented with through the years.

So first for the good ~ the pump on this is pure genius! It enables you to precisely control the amount of foundation that you want and dispenses everything mess free ~ now you’d think this would be something too basic to even mention, but it’s seriously appalling how badly some foundations out there are packaged. Coverage is light/medium but buildable, and the formula is wonderfully light and glides nicely across your skin.

As for the bad? Well my main issues with this foundation are that shade #004 Nude is way too dark/yellow on me, and oxidizes throughout the day making me look like some sort of orange-faced troll. Gripe #2 is that PhotoReady emphasizes any flakies and dry spots you have, meaning moisturize well or don’t bother with this stuff. PhotoReady also has a tend to slide around on my oily forehead after 2-3 hours, and really has trouble staying put in the area around my nose (although I’ll admit most foundations do slide around for me in that area).

Now I know that most of you have heard complaints of the Twilight-esque sparkle in this foundation, but honestly I don’t notice it at all. I set mine with La Mer’s translucent loose powder which already has a healthy dose of shimmer to it, and seriously the only time you’ll notice shimmer is when you’re standing under direct sunlight, and really, what’s so wrong with a little shimmer? The bigger issues for me is the emphasizing flakies and pores and looking a little cakey when layered aspects of the foundation.

All in all this is one of those foundations that falls into the “good enough that I want to love but has enough flaws that I just can’t” category. Maybe I’m spoiled having found a few foundations that work magic for my complexion, but while PhotoReady really is quite decent, it’s a pass for me.

Just to show you how good a deal L’Oreal’s Go 360˚ Clean cleansers are, I’m bringing you a quick comparison of the Scrublet you get with L’Oreal’s cleanser vs. a similar scrubby I purchased at my local Japanese market (all on its own, no cleanser included). Check out the details and more photos after the jump!So admittedly the Japanese scrubby (on the right) is pinker, larger, cuter, and comes with finger loopies – but surprisingly it just doesn’t match up to L’Oreal’s Scrublet for several reasons.

#1 it’s just too large and floppy and therefore a bit of a disaster to use. The finger loops do help to hold it in place, but the added size really does nothing for this as I prefer to focus on smaller areas of my face while cleansing.

#2 the suction on my Japanese scrubby is pure rubbish. Stick it on my mirror, walk by a few hours later and there it is, sitting on the ground, just crying to be picked up. Contrast that to L’Oreal’s suction which stays put for days on end. Really people, it’s the little things that make me happy :).

#3 – it really comes down to price. From what I can remember, I paid close to $5 for my Japanese scrubby, whereas L’Oreal’s Scrublet + cleanser is a mere $6.99 – who can argue with numbers like that?

My conclusion? Go out and try L’Oreal’s Go 360˚ Clean for yourself. It’s inexpensive enough that I can suggest it to all of you without feeling guilty, and fun enough that I know you’ll all want to indulge!

If you’re anything like me, you look at a $6.99 cleanser on the shelf at the drugstore and wonder if it can really be any good – you’re probably used to the drying, irritating, strip your skin to the bone type of cleansers that many drugstore brands seem to love releasing. Well your inner recessionista will rejoice over the awesomeness that is L’Oreal’s new Go 360˚ Clean Deep Facial Cleanser. Check out the details after the jump!The Go 360˚ Clean Deep Facial Cleanser makes a fantastic daily cleanser. On my simultaneously super dry yet super oily skin, Go 360˚ Clean provides a wonderful deep clean that removes trace of foundation (it’s not so great with the mascara) while also keeping my skin break-out and blackhead free. And the best part? It’s non-drying!

What makes this a ‘love’ product for me is L’Oreal’s darling little Scrublet (close-ups below) that comes cleverly nestled within the Go 360˚ Clean bottle. Its soft, siliconey nubbies are gentle enough for use on the most sensitive of complexions but deep cleansing enough to keep the most stubborn of pores clear and blackhead-free. Plus the back has a suction cup (if you don’t feel like sticking it back into the bottle) so that you can pop the Scrublet onto your mirror, shower door, or other surface of choice for easy storage.

I only have two tiny gripes and they really are pretty minor – I’m not crazy about the slightly medicinal scent, and I don’t know about you but the top of my bottle is ridiculously hard to get open. One other thing I should mention is that while this is a great cleanser, it’s not very high-lathering meaning if you’re used to working your cleansers into a rich, thick, luxurious foam, you might be a little disappointed.

If you’re like me and have gargantuan mutant blackheads that never know when to quit, L’Oreal’s deep facial cleanser just may be the product for you, and given that it’s well under $10 even after tax, it’s definitely worth a look-see. If you’ve tried the other versions of this product (I’ve got my eye on the cream and the exfoliating versions) I’d love to hear about them!

Availability: L’Oreal Paris Go 360˚ Clean will be available February 2010 at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers for $6.99.

A press sample of this product was sent to ABS by the brand’s PR representative for blog consideration. I probably would’ve purchased this anyway because I’m a sucker for the cute scrubby! If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.

Say hello to the foundation makeup lovers have been touting as the drugstore alternative to Make Up For Ever’s nearly universally loved (other than by me – really don’t like the stuff) HD foundation. Revlon’s PhotoReady Foundation (with a nice SPF 20) isn’t slated to be released until March 2010, but it’s been popping up at various drugstores nationwide (I got mine at Duane Reade just now, but people have been finding it at CVS, Rite Aide, etc.).

Some proclaim its potential holy grail status, others complain of the Cullen-esque look they give them (too much sparkle), some raves it eliminates pores and lasts for 15 hours, others gripe that it emphasizes dry patches and imperfections and really isn’t all that – so of course I had to grab a bottle and try it for myself.

Expect a review (hopefully soon) on whether this $13.99 bottle of foundation really lives up to the hype (and there’s a lot of hype), or whether it’s just another dud for me. Oh and FYI I picked this up on shade 004 Nude which I’m praying isn’t waaay too dark on me!

L’Oreal Paris’ new Go 360˚ Clean is an innovative new cleanser collection which comes paired with the Scrublet cleansing tool that goes beyond clean for an extraordinary pore-by-pore daily cleansing experience. Pores look smaller and skin is cleaner, smoother and softer.

More info and photos after the jump!Go 360˚ Clean includes L’Oreal’s Scrublet cleansing tool, a super-soft, flexible cleansing disc that applies the collection’s cleanser with 500 extra-supple touch pints that gently glide across the skin, activating the cleanser formulas on contact to create a high-foaming lather. This rich lather penetrates into the pores, unclogging them and gently removing traces of dirt, oil and makeup in every last pore, crease and crevice.

Go 360˚ Clean offers a complete range of cleanser calibrated for ideal performance with the Scrublet:The Scrublet pops right into and out of the custom-made bottle for convenient storage, and even comes with a suction cup allowing you to stick the Scrublet onto your bathroom mirror or tile. I’ve been using the Deep Facial Cleanser for a few weeks now and my skin is looking pretty fabulous if I do say so myself, and my pores are noticeably tighter looking. Full review to come soon!

Availability: L’Oreal Paris Go 360˚ Clean will be available February 2010 at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers for $6.99.

Burt’s Bees Facial Radiance Cleanser with Royal Jelly ($10.00 for a generous 6 fl. oz.) is one of those drugstore gems you discover every now and then – the kind that makes you wonder why you bother to spend $50 on a pricey department store cleanser that you happen to love but loathe shelling out for every few months. Read the rave after the jump! Burt’s Bees Radiance Cleanser is pretty much exactly the kind of cleanser I like to use every day. It’s a light lotion-type cleanser that, when mixed with water, lathers lightly and becomes wonderfully milky. It’s effectively removes all of my makeup while leaving my skin neither stripped nor oily thanks to the additions of nourishing royal jelly and very lightly exfoliating jojoba beads. Plus I do happen to be rather fond of the packaging, particularly the easy lock mechanism for the pump which makes this a dream to travel with.

I actually have noticed that my skin appears to be brighter when I use this cleanser on a regular basis, and I have every intention of stocking up and using these as stocking stuffers. I think they’re a bargain at only $10.00 a pop (it’s tough to find a good product under $10 nowadays) and do recommend that you check them out!

This was my first Burt’s Bees purchase and I’ll definitely be making more in the future. Who knew that a drugstore cleanser could feel so luxurious and department store-y?

L’Oreal HIP products have disappointed me in the past, but these HIP Color Chrome Metallic Finish Eyeliners definitely get the ABS seal of approval and are a must have in my book! Don’t believe me? Check out the swatches – these are like liquid metal and it was seriously love at first swatch. Scratch that – more like obsession!

Top to Bottom: 920 Gold Charge, 915 Silver Lightning, 910 Black Shock

Check out the full review and glistening metallic swatches (plus my thoughts on how these compare to Urban Decay’s 24/7 pencils) after the jump!

910 Black Shock

910 Black Shock is a rich shade of black that contains silver flecks that are almost imperceptible but lend a little bit of shimmer and sparkle to those dramatic black-liner looks. A fabulous pencil in its own right, but nothing compared to the beauty of Gold Charge and Silver Lightning!

920 Gold Charge

920 Gold Charge is a jolt of pure gold color that shimmers, shines, and glows just like liquid gold. Even a non-gold lover like myself can appreciate the beauty of this!

915 Silver Lightning

Oh Silver Lightning, how do I love thee? This was the first HiP Chrome Eyeliner I tried and it remains my favorite. One light swipe gives you the look of molten liquid silver ~ it’s truly magical and a sight to behold.

The formula of these Color Chrome Eyeliners is really fantastic. The lightest touch will yield rich, intense pigmentation and these are so ridiculously creamy and glide so well that you’d swear they went on as a liquid if you weren’t looking right at the pencil for yourself. They look like the liquid metal forms of the colors they come in, and while they do take a few seconds to dry, once set they aren’t going anywhere.

The second set of swatches above is a photo of the back of my hand after a shower and much vigorous rubbing on my part – the point that the skin on my hand was red and raw. I glide these along my waterline with no effort at all (these will never ever drag or pull) and they stay put better than anything else I’ve tried. Dare I say I even prefer these to Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners?

On me at least, the pigmentation on these is richer than on the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, plus they glide better (I bet you didn’t even think that was possible), last longer and wear better than their Urban Decay counterparts. That’s not to say that the Urban Decay pencils are shoddy by any means – they’re pretty fantastic in and of themselves. The downside? The HiP colors are available in a pretty limited shade range, so you’re definitely not going to be getting the selection you do with Urban Decay.

Availability: These go for $10 (or a little less) a pop at a drugstore near you, so definitely check them out. I’m most definitely a fan!

One caveat before I get into the review: the shade was waaaaaaaaaaay too dark for and so I didn’t get to give this product a fair shake, but I figured I’d share my thoughts on it with you nonetheless!

The Packaging: I didn’t much care for the packaging – it’s cute to look at, but it’s really not all that practical. I was always either getting not enough product onto my fingers or much too much product pouring out into my hands, and never seemed to be able to strike that happy medium.

The Formula: True Match Super-Blendable provides light to medium coverage (it wouldn’t really be all that super-blendable color-wise if it provided full coverage) and glides amazingly well over the skin. It has this almost greasy (but never unpleasant) feel to it and it seriously smooths on like liquid silk to deposit a sheer but buildable layer of color over the surface of your skin.

So on the bright side it didn’t irritate my skin, clog my pores or break me out and looked pretty darn good on me despite the fact that it was the wrong shade, at least for the first 2- 3 hours. As for the bad, well by the end of the day my face was this unnatural shade of oompa loompa orange that really nobody in their right mind would want to be.

The Verdict: I loved the way L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup looked and felt for the first few hours and it even did a decent job controlling my oilies, but I really wasn’t a fan of the orange-face it gave me towards the end of the day. I’ve also heard complaints that this emphasizes any dry patches so it’s probably not well suited for those of you with dryer complexions, but I liked this enough that I may just try this in a lighter shade to see if I can’t make it work for me.